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1613 King James Bible Folio - (Second Edition) | (Herbert 322.)
The 1613 King James Bible "true" Second Folio Edition contains a complete section of the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha was an essential, mandatory component of all official Church of England pulpits in 1613. In early King James Bibles, the Apocrypha served as a major theological battleground between the crown and religious dissidents. The Scripture is arranged in two columns per page, with exactly 72 lines of small Gothic "black letter" font. This unique & elegant layout was condensed by royal printer Robert Barker to fit more lines per page than his famous 59-line 1611 first edition. It stands out because it systematically corrects approximately 400 printing errors found in the original 1611 translation. This specific printing became famous and highly notable as a strategic, less expensive alternative for churches requiring a large pulpit Bible, condensed skillfully into the only large folio edition to ever use this 72-line layout. Herbert 322 | ESTC S122066 | Large Folio Bible (15 1/2 x 11 1/2 in  |  39.4 x 29.2).
 
The Exterior: Binding features an imposing, museum-quality example of monumental 19th-century style English Revival binding. The volume is bound in a deep, rich chocolate-brown calfskin. The front and rear planes are intricately blind-tooled with a classic multi-frame paneled design, featuring geometric corner stamps and a prominent, deeply impressed central arabesque lozenge. The spine is a masterwork of Victorian era restoration, meticulously rebuilt across six deep, prominently raised bands. The individual spine compartments are elaborately decorated with hand-stamped Maltese crosses and delicate corner flourishes. A contrasting dark morocco leather lettering piece is fixed in the second compartment, sharply lettered in gold gilt: HOLY BIBLE. 
 
The leather exhibits an exceptional, deep luster with a highly desirable, untouched historic patina throughout. The heavy boards are structurally sound, however do show lite craking along upper and lower extremities. Overall, the binding shows honest shelf wear and subtle surface abrasions througout the exterior, consistent with centuries of handling. The joints, hinges, and headcaps have been professionally stabilized and consolidated, ensuring the massive volume opens can be handled and read with care. It serves as a monumental centrer-piece and remains structurally sound for display.
 
The Interior: The interior text block of this 1613 King James pulpit folio presents a fascinating blend of exceptional typographic preservation, typical historical wear, and highly skilled restoration. Printed on robust, handmade rag paper that has mellowed to a warm, uniform cream-to-tan tone, the Gothic "black letter" font remains remarkably sharp, deep, and legible throughout. A beautifully intact, liturgical calendar, showcasing flawless red-and-black rubrication within wide, uncropped margins. While the central gutter remains tight, flat, and securely bound, the volume displays a few localized structural vulnerabilities typical of heavily utilized pulpit Bibles. Specifically, a large jagged tear with partial paper loss impacts the lower-left border of the woodcut genealogy page, a curved tear with an old paper-tape repair encroaches into the text of the preliminary dedication leaf, and a clean horizontal tear forms a loose flap across a single column of an early text page. Most crucially for collectors, the volume has been thoughtfully completed with the general Old Testament Title, the New Testament Title, a single leaf in Matthew (Chapters 5–6), and the final leaf of Revelation all supplied in expert facsimile. These facsimiles are executed to an exceptionally high standard on period-style paper that beautifully replicates the weight, texture, and natural tone of the surrounding historic leaves, offering a seamless and highly presentable reading experience.
 
Detailed Report: (Old Testament Title + New Testament Title + One leaf in Matthew (Ch. 5-6) + Last Leaf of Revelation Supplied in expert facsimile.)

Collation / Page Count: Complete
 
We provide detailed photographs to allow you to assess the book's condition and aesthetic appeal. Read More
 
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